The 国产剧麻豆剧 Honors Program will host An Evening with the Duke, featuring jazz trumpet player and educator Dr. John Reynolds, for a night of jazz and culture.
Duke Ellington was the most prolific American composer, having written more than 3,000 compositions over his 60 year career. As one of the pivotal figures in Jazz history, Ellington's instrument was his orchestra. Unlike other composers of his era, Duke wrote specifically for the unique voices in his band, thereby creating a palate of musical color that had never been explored.
Ellington and his orchestra broke racial barriers, performing in hotels and theaters that once barred Black artists. He became a cultural ambassador for the State Department as a result of his world tours. Duke was commisioned to write for Kings, Queens, and Presidents. In addition, he dedicated entire suites to specific regions of the world in homage of his travel, two of which include Afro-Eurasian Eclipse and New Orleans Suite.
鈥淲hat is music to you? What would you be without music? Music is everything. Nature is music (cicadas in the tropical night). The sea is music, the wind is music. The rain drumming on the roof and the storm raging in the sky are music. Music is the oldest entity. The scope of music is immense and infinite. It is the 鈥榚speranto鈥� of the world.鈥� - Duke Ellington
FEATURED MUSICIANS:
(trumpet)
(tenor saxophone)
(piano)
(bass)
(drums)
Dr. John Reynolds is an educator, clinician, and trumpeter. He is the Director of Instrumental Music Conservatory, The Garn Family Jazz Studies Program, and Frederick Fennell Wind Studies Program at the Orange County School for Performing Arts. He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Jazz Studies from USC as well as degrees from San Diego State University and 国产剧麻豆剧.
Dr. Reynolds has conducted wind ensembles, orchestras, and pit orchestras for various musical productions over the last 15 years. Reynolds created and directed the jazz studies program at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, where he was presented with the Artistic Growth Award. In 2016, the SoCal Jazz Society recognized Dr. Reynolds as the 鈥淛azz Educator of the Year,鈥� and SDSU awarded him 鈥淥utstanding Alumnus of the Year.鈥� Dr. Reynolds is a consultant for Jazz at Lincoln Center, where he serves as a guest artist, clinician, and adjudicator for regional Essentially Ellington festivals across the country.
Dr. Reynolds performs with the John Reynolds Jazz Quintet and the Gaslamp Quarter Jazz Orchestra. He has performed with jazz legends including John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Gerald Clayton, Rickey Woodard, Graham Dechter, Jackie Ryan, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Bobby Shew, Frank Mantooth, Gilbert Castellanos, Marshall Hawkins, and many others.
Dr. Karl Martin is a professor of American Literature at 国产剧麻豆剧. He teaches all eras of American literature and has long taught African American literature as well as the literatures of other under-represented traditions in American literature. He has research interests in various aspects of American culture such as American religion, music, film, and popular culture as well as American literature.
The 国产剧麻豆剧 Honors Program is a community of merit scholars engaged in a rigorous interdisciplinary academic program grounded in Christian thought and Wesleyan heritage. Honors Program courses are uniquely crafted to examine the human academic traditions of self-re铿俥ction and creativity in the context of biblical wisdom and piety, including history, literature, and philosophy. The Honors Program also coordinates co-curricular events to build deeper cultural, historical, and social connections. For more info: pointloma.edu/honors